1. Field of the Invention
A mounting frame according to this invention is intended to be mounted on the rear of a powered vehicle to attach a towed vehicle or implement or accessory equipment to the powered vehicle. This mounting frame is of the type that is particularly useful when mounted on a standard three point hitch that is commonly employed on a tractor, although the frame could be mounted on other vehicles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One approach to attaching a towed vehicle to a tractor is to use a drawbar extending from the rear of the tractor. When the drawbar is located at a fixed height, the towed vehicle must be jacked to the appropriate height to attach the implement hitch to the drawbar. This requires the operator to both adjust the towed vehicle and move the tractor, increasing the time and energy spent on this rather rudimentary procedure.
Other tractors employ a conventional three-point hitch in which two draft links are pivoted relative to a tractor chassis. Each of these two draft links is attached to a lift link which is in turn attached to a hydraulically actuated rockshaft to move the draft links up and down. A center link is located above the two lower links and is attached to the towed vehicle. After the implement is attached to the three point hitch, the implement or towed vehicle can be raised or lowered by actuating the tractor rockshaft. An additional component that can be used with a conventional three point hitch is a hitch bar that can be mounted between the two lower links and would include a number of hitching means along its length so that different implements or devices can be attached to the tractor.
Another prior approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,227 which includes a five sided frame for attachment to a three point hitch. This frame is intended to facilitate turning when a power take off is used. The attachment point for this frame is closer to the tractor than the ends of the draft links so that the frame does not interfere with a power take off during turns.